MM At The Newport Beach Film Festival UK and Ireland Honours

What could entice the Newport Beach Film Festival team away from the balmy days, blue seas and fresh shrimp filled restaurants of California to rain sodden London in the cold of a February evening?

Well, the breadth and depth of British film talent, for a start. Throw in the magnificent surroundings of an iconic hotel where Winston Churchill  once chomped on his cigars as he led the country through the Second World War and the regal splendour of the Mall and Buckingham Palace a short distance away and it becomes a no brainier.

So it was that, on Thursday, I donned my glad rags and sashayed on down to Raffles Hotel London for the Newport Beach Film Festival UK and Ireland Honours event. What to wear had been an agonising question I’d raised with my followers on X. The invite said Red Carpet/Cocktail wear. 

What did that MEAN?!? Floor length gown worthy of a red carpet or a short little black number?

Over 5,000 views of my post and lots of advice later, I went with a gold dress that could double as both. On entering the hotel I bumped into the always suave Sir Stephen Fry who I had met once before when he’d told me of his love for walking around London, especially in the very early hours of the morning when there are few people around.

He was at the event, to be honoured with the Icon Award. He duly received it at the end of the evening, got a standing ovation and as you’d expect, gave an erudite, charming and funny speech. He is a wonderful raconteur and of course had an amusing tale to tell about Churchill which had been shared with him by an officer who had worked with the great wartime leader.

But before Stephen Fry’s award there were many others, given to young, upcoming talents, who Sir Stephen said might, one day, find themselves receiving the Icon accolade. ” It’s extraordinary to see the remarkable diversity of talent, the wit, the fire, the extraordinary ability these young people have,” he added.

The awards are not competitive and therefore there is a relaxed atmosphere at this glamorous and enjoyable event which I had attended once before.

Recent past honourees have included Gemma Chan, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Paul Mescal, all of whom have gone on to big things. So, the Newport Beach team seem to have an eye for recognising budding talent.

This year the Artist of Distinction awards went to : Emma Corrin, a Golden Globe winner for her portrayal of Princess Diana in The Crown, the multi-talented writer/actress Sharon Horgan and Bafta/Oscar nominee Felicity Jones.

Spotlight Artist awards went to Joe Alwyn, currently to be seen in awards favourite The Brutalist, Jessica Gunning from the phenomenon that was Baby Reindeer and Ambika Mod for One Day.

Breakout artists included Marisa Abela, so good in the Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black and Mia Threapleton who is already earning plaudits for her work just as her mother Kate Winslet did around her age.

Variety partnered with the NBFF team to produce their list of ten Brits to watch. All ten were in attendance: Nabhaan Rizwan, Abigail Thorn, Ava Wong-Davies, Erin Kellyman, Mia Tharia, Michelle de Swarte, Rich Peppiatt, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Varada Sethu and Xander Parish.

And of course, a team from California could not ignore the horror of the recent fires in their state.

‘LA will rebuild with passion and creativity,’ noted one speaker.